French presidential candidate Le Pen claimed Crimea was not annexed and expressed her vision, opposite to the EU position

Marine Le Pen, the National Front's presidential candidate, said on Tuesday that the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea by Russia was "not illegal", contrary to the position of the EU and U.S., according to Le Figaro.

"I do not believe that there was an illegal annexation: there was a referendum, the citizens of Crimea wanted to join Russia," the far right party boss told BFM TV, Unian reports.

Marine Le Pen also called for the establishment of "strategic relations" between France and Russia in the fight against the Islamic State group.

As Britain's Express reported earlier in December 2016, Le Pen was set to face intense scrutiny from U.S. intelligence services after she requested a $30 million loan from a Russian bank, according to reports.

The National Front leader has allegedly asked for the money to bankroll her campaign to become France's president next year from a bank which is believed to have close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin.